Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. By Mary Taruvinga –
MOVED by the recent controversial death of a child bride Annah Machaya, who died giving birth, a Harare woman is now seeking to stop members of the Marange Apostolic Church from marrying off young girls.
Sharon Moffat has approached the High Court arguing that this was never the doctrine of the church and as such should be stopped forthwith.
Machaya died while giving birth at the Johanne Marange shrine sparking a public outcry.
In summons filed at the court, Moffat, together with the Legal Resources Foundation and the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe cited the church, the Apostolic Churches Council, Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga, and Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi as the defendants.
She also cited Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe, Women Affairs Minister Sithembiso Nyoni, the Zimbabwe Republic Police as well as the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
Moffat has accused the church and the Apostolic Church Council of condoning an illegal practice.
“In breach of 1st defendant’s doctrine, faith and the laws of Zimbabwe, certain of its members have taken to marrying and or marrying off girl children.”
She said this has also taken root in most church organisations giving the widely held but false impression that it is part of the religious beliefs of all the Indigenous Apostolic African Churches.
“In the wake of these various breaches first and second defendants should have taken a position to affirm their true beliefs and faith.In the result, they have accommodated the criminal practices and given the impression that they not only tolerate them but that those practices constitute a fundamental component of their faith.,” Moffat complained.
She is seeking to have the court declare that the practice of child marriages is not part of the church’s doctrine and that it is a contravention of sections 19, 26, 27, 51, 53, 78, 80, and 81 of the Constitution.
Moffat is also demanding that the churches take steps to publish a message at every place of worship for nineteen consecutive weeks that clarifies that the marrying of girl children is not an aspect of their respective faiths and should not be committed in the name of their religion.
